60th Wedding Anniversary Letter From the Queen. It was my pleasure to be asked to photograph Shirley and Gordon's Diamond Wedding anniversary at the family home in Cardiff, which also included 4 generations of the Clan. History has it that the tradition and culture of sending a congratulatory message to those couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary harks back to 1917 during the days of King George V.A. Originally, these messages were sent through via telegram and over the years, the format of the congratulatory missives has evolved to reflect the fast-changing developing fashions and tastes of the modern times. It can also be argued that the changes and reforms in the postal system have also contributed to this.

Nowadays, cards are sent to those couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary ( diamond ) and every other thereafter. The messages will most of the time comprise of a card inscribed with a personalised message from the queen herself. The card comes in a special envelope and has a letterhead which is a variation of the original 1917 King George V.A plaque that reads;

"His Majesty the King hopes that the blessings of prosperity and good health may follow you through the remainder of your days" As it is usually the case, only citizens of the current commonwealth realm ( these are countries where the Queen is the sovereign Head of State ) or United Kingdom Overseas Territories qualify to receive these congratulatory messages. In this regard, applications for people residing in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand ought to be sent to the respective Governor-general. The Governor-general as you may well know acts as the Queen's personal representative in these countries and is the one responsible for arranging for these messages to reach the queen. Once you have received your congratulatory letter from the queen, it would be very fitting and customary for the couple to take a full family portrait in celebration of this, and if you happen to be in Cardiff or its environs, then the services of an experienced portrait photographer in Cardiff should come in handy.

The first dance Dave. No we are not having one, really Said Dave? oh well said Dave eyeing up the pizza van instead, serving up fresh pizza for the guests! Next a rush of white dress and Richard has grasped his wife by the hand and headed for the Dance floor. Lucky that Dave had his LED light and camera set up just incase lol

According to Wiki. The "first dance" of a married couple is a popular element at modern European and American wedding receptions or post-wedding celebrations. The newly married couple, as the guests of honor at a dance, open the dancing. The style of dance is a personal choice. Some couples opt for a rehearsed, choreographed dance, whereas sources like etiquette columnist Judith Martin feel that performing a choreographed duet for spectators is inappropriate.

In the past, the couple did not dance the first dance alone. In her 1922 guide, Ettiquette, Emily Post recommended that newlyweds not join the dancing until after their guests had begun, and simply dance with one another first before moving on to other partners. This occurred while other guests continued dancing, and was not given particular attention or treated as a performance.

In the current times, ballroom dance is not a skill that is common within society. Therefore, some modern couples either slow dance or learn a dance, whether it be a ballroom dance style or a choreographed dance routine. Teaching and rehearsing the "first dance" is now a service offered by dance studios, independent dance instructors and specialist wedding dance tuition companies.

Window Light is the photographers softbox. I was once told on an education photography day. It's something I do when I walk into a room or if I'm in a large building and it's raining outside, I scout around until I find it. That's where I set up my "studio". Look for tall windows beaming light onto the floor. This shot took probably 3 mins to compose and shoot, simply because I had already found my light to make the photo sing. Annie and Mike were down from London for a wedding and I loved the cool edgy look and tattoos. After positioning Annie first, I made sure Mike was seated just in front of her so the light could work across him too, and there you have it, using the leading lines from the wall, taking my eye into the couple, and then exposing for the highlight on Annie's shoulder, the magic and light happened......... contact me If you're thinking about a themed shoot or portrait session. XDave

window light is the photographers softbox

Other than window lighting, most portrait photographers use studio lights on location. But this is not always possible with the timing of a wedding so by using natural light as the softbox a good quick light source is the way to set about getting quality light and photos.

Natural light is also a great look and style for portraits for newborns, infants, children and seniors. Now with minimal equipment almost anyone with a good camera and lens can take exceptional indoor images. It is definitely a sought after look.

The best windows are ones that have a northern or southern exposure. This will provide a very soft, indirect light all day long. Next you will need a room with lots of window (floor to ceiling the best). Dont be afraid to raise the blinds or drapes for the room. Turn off all interior lights as they may cause a color balance shift or unnecessary shadows under the eyes. Then by altering the ISO of the camera so you can obtain a faster enough shutter speed to hold the camera and not have to rely on a tripod shoot away and get 2-3 poses from the light source at least.

Seeing the shot getting the shot is really important when you have 10 mins to shoot a bride and groom have one waterfall and no shoes on…. Richard and Hannah were keen to get a shot at the waterfalls so it was shoes off for everyone to get the photo. This is one of their favourite spots and will always be special to them. You can just spot the flash hidden behind them to add a little bit of magic to the background. XDave